New Delhi: The government is committed to protecting and providing incentives to honest and performing civil servants but determined to act tough against corruption, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

His comments came days after Coal Secretary Anil Swarup said institutions or "5Cs"-- CAG, CVC, CBI, CIC and the Courts--create an "inhibiting environment" that impacts "quick and effective decision making".

"The government believes that bureaucrats are essential tool of good governance and good governance cannot be achieved with bad tools," said Singh, Minister of State in Prime Minster's Office.

He said the Centre has been consistently working on creating a work-friendly atmosphere for the bureaucrats so their initiatives or they themselves do not get intimidated.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh. Image courtesy PIB

"Honest bureaucrats need not worry about any thing. Those bureaucrats who are honest and performers will be provided due incentives," Singh told PTI here.

At the same time, the government is committed to acting against corruption. "There will be no undue harassment of honest and performing officers," he said.

The minister's remarks assume significance as there is a feeling among a section of civil servants that they may be harassed by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Central Information Commission (CIC) and Courts for their decisions.

In a post on social networking website Facebook last month, Swarup had said: "Pace of development is not as much impacted by the dishonest as by the inhibiting factors that prevent the honest from taking decisions."

A day later, the Coal Secretary had added: "Some individuals are 'incorrigibly committed' and hence they would perform irrespective of the objective conditions. This is not the rule. We very conveniently blame politicians for all the ills.

"However, isn't it true that the 5Cs (namely CAG, CBI, CVC, CIC and Courts), contribute substantially in creating an inhibiting environment for quick and effective decision making that impact development? Ironically all these institutions are not occupied by politicians but by civil servants".